Nerd Culture

Nerd (The Other N-Word)

Nerd, or geek, is a word and sub-culture that for decades had a negative connotation, and was at used as an insult. Nerds, and geeks, were, in the past, were considered frail individuals who were tormented and bullied. Nerds, by many, were thought to be intelligent, but obsessed with a non-social hobby or pursuit. Nerd was understood as the contradictory to what would be called cool. But nerd, as a word and a concept, once viewed strictly as negative, seems to have made a 180°. It seems that now, in an era of comic book movies and sci-fi, in the media; as well as, constant technological and scientific growth nerds have become the keystone of Western and American culture. The nerd sub-culture is, now-a-days, populated

These characters, like Sheldon Cooper, still express the troupe of the uncool nerd. Who dress oddly, and have difficulty speaking to the opposite sex. This is, in turn, detrimental to the evolving connotation of nerd culture, but, due to its popularity, the show familiarized has viewers with the sub-culture in turn making it more prevalent in modern society; however inaccurate it may be to the culture. Nerd culture is better represented in shows in which people have an obsessive love or interest in any given field or subject. More representations in media include: Silicon Valley, a show in which six tech wizzes begin a startup company in San Francisco; The League, a series in which revolves around the lives and relationships in a fantasy football league; and countless more including King of the Nerds, Community and Freaks and Geeks, all personal favorites. More and more nerd/geek culture is being represented in media, allowing the sub-culture to be seen as more common, in turn allowing nerds of all ages to express their interests free of